Urban Enthusiast – October 2015

9/30/15
Dustin M. Wax is a man who wears many hats. A writer, gallery board member, art enthusiast and adjunct college instructor, Wax is also the Executive Director of the Burlesque Hall of Fame. The Omaha, Nebraska native came to Las Vegas in 2003 and quickly set to work familiarizing himself with the city and in particular, downtown Las Vegas.
What drew you to DTLV?
I started coming downtown about 10 or so years ago for First Fridays, and I’ve always been attracted to the raw possibility of the area. Having lived in New York City for five years before landing in Las Vegas, I made the common newcomer’s mistake of comparing New York’s wealth of cultural events and institutions, great bars and restaurants, shopping, and just plain stroll-ability with Las Vegas’ relative lack of all those things. But when I experienced downtown, I realized that what seemed like a weakness was really a strength — that what Las Vegas offered, especially downtown, was the opportunity to create a culture worth living in, free from the constrictions of an (often stale and hidebound) cultural establishment.
Why did the Burlesque Hall of Fame settle in Emergency Arts?
At the time, the art and culture scene in Las Vegas was just starting to take root. And after a generation of ups and downs, it was clear that something was going to happen. There were all these creative, community-minded people with ideas that needed space to become realities, and East Fremont had nothing but space. It was a great place for a small organization like ours to settle in and grow.
What attractions of the neighborhood do you enjoy?
We have a great cocktail culture downtown, in places like Atomic Liquors, Downtown Cocktail Room, the bar at Inspire, and Velveteen Rabbit and Artifice in the Arts District. And when I’m feeling more back-to-basics, the Huntridge Tavern can’t be beat! For food, I love eat. (when I’m out and about early enough) and have been really digging the ramen at Itsy Bitsy Ramen. And of course there’s Mundo for fancier nights out, especially before a show at The Smith Center.
But of course, I’m a museum guy, so arts and culture are the main draw for me. I live across the street from the Neon Museum and it gives me great pleasure to see the La Concha shell and all the signs from my kitchen window. We have a natural affinity with the Neon Museum and with the Mob Museum — many of the women represented in our collection dated the men featured in the Mob Museum, so connecting the dots is easy. And then there’s the Arts District, which is what drew me downtown in the first place. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Blackbird Studios, which is everything I think an art gallery should be: community-focused, accessible, affordable, and just downright fun. Full disclosure, I’m on the board at Blackbird, but that only reinforces my endorsement. Like many, many others, I’m willing to donate my time because it’s such an important place to have as part of our downtown. Aside from Blackbird, while I’m not as comfortable in the crowds and spectacle of First Friday as I used to be, I do try to hit the Arts Factory and Art Square during Preview Thursday whenever I can, particularly Sin City Gallery.
What do you think sets DTLV apart from other neighborhoods in Las Vegas?
The raw potential and open space of downtown has drawn all manner of doers to the area to try things out. People open stores and galleries, produce shows, create special events, teach classes, and do all sorts of things here they simply couldn’t afford to do in the suburbs. As long as I’ve been downtown, there has been this sense of being in a small town — so many like-minded people have been drawn there, bringing with them such a strong yearning for community, that it feels like we all know each other — or could. I’ve lived in the suburbs, out near Rhodes Ranch and way out in Centennial Hills, and they always felt like places where nobody knew anyone else, where everyone was tucked away in their houses, with no reason to connect with the people around them. Downtown isn’t like that, there has always been the sense that everyone is working on some big project and that we were all building this great community together.
Photo: Dustin M. Wax portrait by Lucky Wenzel